An defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider security environment highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of government operations, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
